Folding head rest for chair



Nov. 14, 1961 M. FOX

FOLDING HEAD REST FOR CHAIR 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 1, 1959 FIELE H/Hlm...

3 @0 F Z g 1 0 Nov. 14, 1961 M. Fox 3,008,767

FOLDING HEAD REST FOR CHAIR Filed June 1, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Nov. 14, 1961 M. Fox

FOLDING HEAD BEST FOR CHAIR Filed June '1, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 latch guide means;

U e S es Pat .0

3,008,767 FOLDING HEAD REST FOR CHAIR Martin Fox, Chicago, Ill., assignor to The Seng Company, a corporation of Illinois Filed June 1, 1959, Ser. No. 817,194

7 Claims. (Cl. 297-403) This invention relates to a folding head rest as used upon chairs, and more particularly to a head rest having a linkage in which it may be manually moved between a locked upright position anda retracted nested position within the chair back.

Modern furniture styling requires that chairs have low backs; but such a chair is relatively uncomfortable because a person seated in the chair cannot rest his head without sliding too low in the seat. Accordingly, there is a real need in modern furniture for a head rest which is completely concealed in the chair back when not in use, and which can be easily moved to an extended, operative position when desired.

The primary object of this invention, therefore, is to provide a new and improved folding head rest and head rest linkage of durable, economical and simple construction.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a folding head rest with a linkage which automatically locks the head rest in an operative, upright position when it is manually moved to that position.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a folding head rest which nests within a chair back and is almost entirely concealed when not in use.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide a folding head rest which is urged toward its concealed position and also toward its operative position by a single spring.

These and other objects and advantages will be more apparent from the following detailed description and drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of an upholstered chair with the head rest of the present invention locked in an operative position, part of the chair being in section substantially as illustrated along the line 11 of Fig. 4;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary section like FIG. 1, showing the head rest in the retracted and nested position;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary section on an enlarged scale, taken substantially as illustrated along line 3--3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a rear elevational view of an upholstered chair with the head rest locked in the upright position and with the back partially broken away to illustrate a FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view of the latch guide means on an enlargedscale, taken substantially as illustrated along line 55 of FIG. 7;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view of the latch guide means on an enlarged scale, taken substantially as illustrated along line 66 of FIG. 7;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view of the chair back and head rest'on an enlarged scale, taken substantially as illustrated along line 7-7 of FIG. 4, the head rest and latch arm being illustrated in operative position in full lines and in two different positions of movement in broken lines; and

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to FIG. 7, showing the head rest and latch means in the retracted position.

Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to FIGS. 1 and 4, there is shown a preferred embodiment of the present invention as used on an upholstered chair. The chair, generally designated 10, has a back 11 rigidly mountedupon the rear of a seat 12, and sides 13 extending upwardly to form arm rests. The chair is provided with the usual padding 14 and fabric 15.

' To comfortably support a si-t-ters head, a padded head rest 16 is mounted adjacent the top end 17 of chair back 11. The head rest is here shown as a rectangular framework 18 extending substantially across the width of the chair back and having padding 14 and fabric 15. The head rest is swingably connected to a top cross-piece 20 of the'chair back by hinge 21 which permits full movement between the operative position of FIG. 1 and a retracted position in a recess 19 in the chair back as seen in FIG. 2. The recess 19, into which the head rest is nested is defined by top cross-piece 20, a lower cross bar 24, and side panels 25 and 26. In its retracted position the head res-t completely fills the recess 19, and the fabric 15 covering its padded face is flush with the rear and top surfaces 22 and 23, respectively, of the chair back so that the head rest is entirely concealed and does not interfere with the styling and appearance of the chair.

The head rest in both the upright and retracted positio'ns is supported by a latch means, generally designated 27, which extends between one side 28 of the head rest frame and the inner face 29 of chair back side panel 25.

The latch means includes a latch arm 30 pivotally connected by a pin 31 to an off-set bracket 32 on the side 28 of the head rest, and the lower end of the latch arm has a follower stud '43 projecting inwardly to engage a guide means, indicated generally at 33. The guide means comprises an elongated guide and latch bracket 34 having flanges 35 and 36 extending outwardly to form spaced apart guide tracks against which the follower may ride. The bracket is rigidly fastened to the interior side 29 of the hollow chair back along an extension 35a of the flange 35 with its flanges 35 and 36 parallel to the rear face of the chair back. Intermediate the flanges 35 and 36 a center lguide bar 37 is riveted to mounting bosses 38a on outer face 38 cf the latch bracket as seen in'FlG. 6; and said bar 37 cor perates with flanges 35 and 36 to form spaced apart guideways 39 and 40 which communicate with one another above and below the center bar to former continuous circuitous path for follower stud 43 of latch arm 30. At the upper end of bar 37 is a detent notch 41 having an upstanding stop shoulder 41a at the front. As seen in FIG. 5, outer face 38 of the guide bracket has at its upper end an inwardly extending flange 38b, leaving a narrow space for latch arm 30 and positioning follower stud 32 beneath flange 38b so thatit cannot be accidentally disengaged from the guide bracket.

A tension spring 42 is connected between a spring pin 42a on the plate and a spring pin 42b on the latch arm near its upper end; and is arranged to urge the follower 43 of the latch arm against the various guide tracks of guide means 33 as the head rest is moved between nested and operative positions; I

\As clearly shown by FIGS. 7 and 8, the latch arm 30 and follower 32 follow a continuous circuit along a circuitous guide passage or path, provided by the guide means 33, as the head rest is manually movedbetween its extreme positions. In the locked, operative, full line position of FIG. 7 follower 32 is engaged in detent notch 41, and is held forward against stop shoulder 41a by spring 42. To fold the head rest, it is pulled slightly forward to the position shown by the broken line a in FIG. 7 to lift the follower free of stop shoulder 41a on the notch, and the action of spring 42 swings the latch arm forwardly until follower 43 engages the flange 35, which thus forms a front guide track. The head rest, now being freeto be swung rearwardly is lowered by a pushing force which causes the follower tomove downwardly along the front track while the latch arm pivots on pin 31. When the head rest reaches an intermediate position the outstretched spring 42 passes over the pivot pin 31 and pivot center to then cause the latch arm to be urged oppositely (i.e., rearwardly), so that follower 43 passes under center bar 37 as the head rest is finally brought to its nested position within the chair back, and follower 43 bears against rear flange, or guide track 36, as shown in FIG. 8. Thus, it is seen that spring 42 tends toretain the head rest in the operative position of FIG. 7, and also urges the head rest into recess 19 when the rest is folded. To again return the head rest to the locked, operative position, it is swung upwardly while latch armfollower 43 slides along flange 36. The spring moves back across pivot pin 31 when follower 43 is slightly-above the lower end of center bar 37; and having once again reversed its urging direction, the spring now causes the follower to ride upwardly against the rear edge of the center bar. The spring pulls follower 43 into detent notch 41 just as the head rest reaches its upright position. The entire cycle can be repeated as often as desired.

Although aspecific embodiment of the invention has beenshown and described, it is to be understood that such description is for illustrative purposes only. The in vention is to be limited only by the appended claims.

I claim:

- 1.' In a chair having a back, folding head rest means, comprising: a head rest hingedly connected to the upper end of the back for movement between an operative position extending upwardly from said connection and a folded position below the connection; a fixed latch bracket mounted on the back below said connection; generally upright guide means on said bracket providing a continuous circuitous passage through which a portion of a latch arm may move in a continuous, nonreversing circuit, there being a detent notch adjacent the upper end of said guide means; a latch arm pivotally connected to the" head rest and depending therefrom, the lower end of said arm having a portion which seats in said notch in the operative position of the head rest and rides continuously and nonreversingly inthe continuous passage provided by the guide means during movement of the head rest from operative position through the folded position and back to operative position; and spring means urging said latch arm to engage with said notch and guide means, said head rest being movable forwardly past its operative position to release said portion of the arm from said detent notch.

- 2. In a chair having a back, folding head rest means, comprising: a head rest hingedly connected tothe upper endof the back for movement between an operative position extending upwardly from said connection'and a folded position below the connection; a fixed latch bracket mounted on the back below said connection, said bracket having spaced flanges and a guide bar between the flanges defining spaced, generally upright guideways which communicate above and below said guide bar to provide a continuous circuitous passage, there being a detent notch in the top of the guide bar; a latch arm pivotally connected to the head rest and depending therefrom, the lower end of said arm having a portion which 4. seats in said notch in the operative position of the head rest and rides in the guideways on said bracket during movement of the head rest from operative position through the folded position and back to operative position; and spring means urging said portion of the latch arrn to engage with said notch and with the walls of said continuous passage, said head rest being movable forwardly past its operative position to release said portion of the arm from said detent notch.

3. The device of claim 2 in which the spring means includes a tension spring secured to the head rest and to the latch arm, and said spring crosses over the pivot center of the latch arm as the head rest moves between said positions so as to pull the latch arm rearwardly in the folded position and forwardly in the operative position of the head rest.

4. The device of claim 2 in which the detent notch is upwardly and rearwardly open and has an upstanding front wall against which the engaging portion of the latch arm is urged by the spring means when the head rest is in its operative position.

5. In a chair having a back, folding head rest means, comprising: a head rest hingedly oonnectedto the upper end of said back for movement between an operative position extending upwardly from said connection and a rearwardly folded position below said connection; a latch arm pivotally connected to the head rest in a depending position, the lower end of said arm having a follower fastened thereto; fixed guide means defining a continuous circuitous guide path for said follower, there being a fixed detent notch near the upper end of said guide path in which the follower seats when the head rest'is in its operative position; and means urging said .latch arm to seat the follower in the notch, said head rest being movable forward of the operative position to release said follower from said notch.

6. In a chair having a back provided with upright side frame members and a rearwardly open recess between said members, foldinghead rest means, comprising 5 a head rest hingedly connected to the upper end of the backfor movement between an operative position extending upwardly from said connection and a folded position in said recess in the back; a fixed latch bracket mounted in said recess on one of said side frame members'; said bracket being a channel member and being secured to said one side frame member with the open side of' the channel toward said' frame; a guide bar secured in the channel member between the sides of the channel and co-operating with said sides toydefine a pair of spaced, generally upright guideways which communicate above and below the guide bar to provide a continuous circuitous guide passage, said guide bar being spaced from said one side frame member and there being a detent notch in the top of said guide bar; a latch arm pivotally connected to the head rest and extending into the space between the g'uide'bar and said one side frame member, said arm having a laterally extending fixed stud which seats in said detent notch in the operative position of the head rest and rides in the guide passage during movement of the head rest from operative position through the folded position and back to the operative position; and spring means biasing said latch arm toward the head rest to urge the stud on the latch arm. into engagement with the notch and the walls of the circuitous guide passage, said head rest being movable forwardly past its operative position to release the stud from the detent notch. i

7. In a chair having an upholstered back provided with upright side framer'nembers and a cross member at the top, folding headrest means comprising: an upholstered head'rest hinged directly upon the cross frame member of the back for movement between an operative position extending upwardly from said connection and a folded position below said'connection, said head rest in its operative position having its upholstered portion bearing against the upholstered portion of the back; a fixed latch bracket mounted on the back below said connection; generally upright guide means on said bracket providing a continuous circuitous passage through which a portion position and back to operative position; and spring means urging said latch arm to engage with said notch and guide means, said head rest being movable forwardly past its operative position due to the resilience of said upholstery of a latch arm may move in a continuous, nonreversing 5 to release said portion of the arm from said detent notch.

circuit, there being a detent notch adjacent the upper end of said guide means; a latch arm pivotally connected to the head rest and depending therefrom, the lower end of said arm having a portion which seats in said notch in the operative position of the head rest and rides continuously and non-reversingly in the continuous passage provided by the guide means during movement of the head rest from operative position through the folded References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

